1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a disk device of a slot-in type which has an insertion slot, and is loaded with a disk inserted through the insertion slot.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
An optical disk is an information recording medium for use in a computer system or other electronic equipment for storing information of a considerable amount, for example, CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW/RAM/+R/+RW. An optical disk drive or player as optical disk device is loaded with the optical disk, and accesses the optical disk to write information to or read information from the optical disk. Two types of the optical disk drives are known, including a tray type and a slot-in type. The tray type includes a disk tray, which is movable into and out of the optical disk drive, and receives the optical disk. When the optical disk is contained and set on the disk trays, the disk tray is entered in the optical disk drive. The optical disk is set in a chuck position by the disk tray, and is clamped by the turntable and a chuck head. For writing and reading, the turntable rotates the optical disk.
In the slot-in type, no disk tray is used. It is possible structurally to reduce a thickness and size of the optical disk drive with advantages for use in electronic apparatuses. To load the slot-in type with an optical disk, a user enters a first half of the optical disk through an insertion slot formed in a front bezel of the optical disk drive. In response to the entry through the insertion slot, a loading mechanism is started and advance the disk inclusive of the second half automatically into the optical disk drive. To unload the optical disk from the slot-in type, a user depresses an ejection pushbutton. The loading mechanism presses out the second half of the disk out of the insertion slot at least partially. Then the user is enabled to remove the disk away from the optical disk drive.
JP-A 2002-117604 discloses an optical disk drive of a slot-in type. In FIGS. 55 and 56, a loading mechanism the optical disk drive of the document is illustrated. In FIG. 55, a disk D is entered through an insertion slot. A contact pin 100a is pressed by the disk D, to move a first pivot lever 100 pivotally in an arrow direction 100A. Then a holding pin 103a of a second pivot lever 103 supports a peripheral edge of the disk D, which is regulated in the height direction. The second pivot lever 103 is pressed by the disk D and rotates in an arrow direction 103A. Immediately after this, guide walls 101 and 102 regulate the disk D for control of its orientation in the lateral direction.
When the second pivot lever 103 rotates in an arrow direction 104A, a detection switch 105 is turned on. A driving mechanism 106 is responsive to an output of the detection switch 105, to move a first slider 107 in an arrow direction 107A. A slide link lever 109 is kept movable about a pivot pin 110. A second slider 108 is connected by the slide link lever 109 to the first slider 107. Also, the first slider 107 supports the first pivot lever 100 in a cantilever manner. When the first slider 107 moves back, the second slider 108 advances in an arrow direction 108A.
A cam follower pin 100b is guided by a cam groove 107a of the first slider 107 upon moving back of the first slider 107. The first pivot lever 100 rotates about a rotational center 100c in an arrow direction 100B. The contact pin 100a at the end of the first pivot lever 100 contacts and moves the disk D toward pad pins 111a and 111b in a positioning pad 111. Then the second pivot lever 103 rotates together with the first pivot lever 100. The holding pin 103a rotates in the arrow direction 103A while supporting the disk D. The disk D reaches the chuck position of contacting the pad pins 111a and 111b of the positioning pad 111. After this, the holding pin 103a moves away slightly from the disk D. See FIG. 56.
A chuck head 112 is movable up and down, and chucks the disk D set in the chuck position. A spindle motor 114 has an output shaft. A turntable 113 is fixed on the output shaft. The chuck head 112 is a part of a unit including the turntable 113. Also, there is a movable frame (not shown) on which the spindle motor 114 is supported. The movable frame is moved up and down by a vertical shifter.
For the purpose of unloading of the disk D, the loading mechanism operates in a sequence reverse to the above-described sequence of the loading. In the state of FIG. 56, a command signal for moving out of the disk D is entered. The driving mechanism 106 operates in the reverse direction. The first slider 107 advances in an arrow direction 107B. In response, the second slider 108 starts moving back in an arrow direction 108B. The disk D is supported by the contact pin 100a and the holding pin 103a, and moved out of the optical disk drive.
Generally used types of optical disks are two types, namely a small disk of 8 cm and a large disk of 12 cm. The large disk is more widely used. For compatibility to the two types, a problem arises in the slot-in type of the optical disk drive. Plural movable arms are used for supporting and guiding a peripheral edge of the small disk or large disk. The movable arms are contained in a somewhat small space in the disk drive. There is a limit in raising rigidity of each of the movable arms. So mechanical load applied to the movable arms must be reduced to a low level in consideration of their structural feature. Another requirement lies in that the small disk should be pinched or grasped by a user manually at the time of unloading the small disk being 8 cm across. An amount of projecting a proximal end of the small disk from an insertion slot should be great. An angle of pivotal movement of an arm must be great for pressing out the small disk. At the time of completion of unloading of the small disk, an end of the arm is disposed at an end of the insertion slot because of the great angle of the pivotal movement. Failure is likely to occur in entry of the small disk in this state, the small disk may be unable to press the end of the arm according to a direction of pressing the small disk. The arm cannot turn on the detection switch. No automatic loading of a loading mechanism is possible for the small disk.